Thursday, August 7, 2008

Sugar Beets in the Back Yard, Penrose 1944

This picture of Judy is such a classic. I hope that someone else has the entire picture - why I cut it out, I don't know. I have loved the happy look on her face, while she has the kitten in a very firm grip, and it looks like another kitten winding itself around her leg. I always wondered if the cat scratched her, and that is why she is not too happy in the last picture of her and Ann. Oh, and incidentally, the wind never blows in Wyoming! (Done, Liz. )

We have always talked about having sugar beets growing in our back yard when we moved into the new house in February, 1944; here is living proof. Uncle Norman Sorensen took these pictures sometime that summer when the beets were fair sized, on a Sunday afternoon. History includes the coal bin in the near background with (unseen) washtubs hanging on the side, with the chicken coop with a slant shed roof in the background. Dwight looks a little dubious about having his picture taken - he was usually the taker, and we have him to thank for many pictures of our childhood.

I would have been about ready to go into the 4th grade. Love the tidy way my belt is on. This dress was pink - one that Mother manufactured. It never really fit, but that didn't bother me because it was a pretty color. Louise was still a bit lanky - just getting ready to bloom when she hit high school - but this was going to be the 8th grade, after all.

I love this picture of Ann (with a kitty) and Judy. Now, you can see the wash tub, and the chickens beyond. How we hated those brown long stockings and the garter belts that held them up. Mine were always breaking in the most embarrassing places and times. Judy, are you nursing a scratch? Or just getting to the end of your tehter. It looks like Ann would not be placated. Steve was still a baby, and was not in these pictures, although there is a picture of him in the bassinett, which will be posted later. I certainly don't remember the day these pictures were taken, but they are a key bit of our Penrose history.

7 comments:

What a great series of pictures. I don't see a sad face on any of us. And I did have blonde hair, once upon a time! Wasn't life just about perfect - as far as we knew it! There is something wonderful to be said for this little exercise (do you realize we are over 300 pages?) we have been going through for the past several months. It is as though we can, periodically, take a peak back at our safe place and gather renewed energy which makes the going forward so much more pleasant. Whew - enough philosophizing for one day.

As we each in turn, stood in that beet field and had our picture taken, how would we have known under the circumstances we would later view the photos. How could we have known that "being sealed together for eternity" also meant that we are sealed together for "now".

I remember this day clearly. In the bottom photo of Judy and Ann, Uncle Norman's car is cut off on the right, by the chicken house. I was self conscious about the shirt I was wearing, which was the only good shirt I had, and it was one that Mom made. I had a little puzzle ball on a keychain that I wore on my belt for a long time; I took it apart and put it back together countless times. But what camera was used? Did Cindy have one? Mother certainly didn't, and this was before I got my Baby Brownie. ???

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